In order to prevent the resurgence of transporting illegally sourced or undocumented forest products passing through the national highways of Southern Luzon, the CALABARZON-Southern Tagalog and Bicol Regional Offices of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) joined forces in establishing the Tabogon Forest Products Monitoring Station at the national road crossing in Barangay Tabogon in Sta. Elena, Camarines Norte.

Juan, who once served as DENR chief in the Bicol region, said the Tabogon crossing is strategically located, being the gateway from the Bicol Region to the Southern Tagalog region and eventually, Metro Manila.

The forest products may have been sourced in the Eastern and Western Visayas’ remaining natural and residual forests, Gonzales presumed.

REDs Juan and Gonzales agreed to jointly man the monitoring station. Personnel of both regions, from the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) -Calauag, Quezon and CENRO-Daet, Camarines Norte, were tasked as lead offices to oversee the operations of the Monitoring Station.

The Monitoring station will be manned in shifts, 24/7 by Forest Rangers, other DENR Personnel and Deputized Forest Officers.

Special arrangements will be made with the Police, Philippine Army, and the local government units to assist the DENR in the conduct of monitoring activities.

“As part of our forest protection and law enforcement plan, which we have submitted to the Forest Management Bureau at the DENR Central Office in Quezon City, we will also be re-activating a forest monitoring station in Umiray in Dingalan, Aurora with the DENR Region 3. This will be done soonest,’ said Juan.

Umiray is a barangay shared by two municipalities and two regions. There is a Barangay Umiray, General Nakar, Quezon, Region 4A CALABARZON and after crossing Umiray Rivers, is a Barangay Umiray, Dingalan, Aurora, Region 3. Similarly with Barangay Tabogon, Umiray is gateway to Region 3, passing through Dinangalan, Aurora, then to Bongabong, Nueva Ecija, to Palayan City and Cabanatuan City.